


Pride and Loyalty

by Suzie_b



Series: Pride and Loyalty [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: M/M, Sexual Content, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-20
Updated: 2011-07-20
Packaged: 2017-10-21 14:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/225991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzie_b/pseuds/Suzie_b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A different take on the events in Advent Children from Tseng's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another beta by the awesome Elfen.

It was one of the few times that Tseng had directly disobeyed one of Rufus' orders. True, he'd found ways around things in the past, but by sitting here at the man's bedside, he was fairly certain he was going against the words 'turn around and walk out of here, and never look at me again'.

Rufus was a proud man and Tseng doubted very much that he'd ever show just how much this disease frightened him. It wasn't that he thought his employer was afraid of death; he knew better. Rufus was afraid of the weakness his condition caused.

"Your father isn't here to see you, Rufus. You can stop living as if he were right behind you," Tseng told the sleeping figure. Not that his words would have any impact even if the man were awake. The former president had made very certain that his son would always think of himself as not quite good enough. It was unfortunate that his mother had died so young; from what Tseng had heard of her she had been the only positive person in his employer's life.

"I thought I told you to go away. You're usually more obedient than this, Tseng. I wish I could call the surprise pleasant." Rufus opened his eyes to look at Tseng, obviously expecting to be left alone as he'd earlier indicated. When it didn't happen, Rufus struggled to push himself up against his pillows. "I appreciate your sympathy, but it's neither wanted nor needed. You've seen the effects of the disease, now go and let me sleep."

The cat-like creature that lay on the floor beside the bed stirred and lifted her head. Tseng had always considered Dark Nation an odd pet to give one's child, but it was the only creature to which Rufus showed anything akin to kindness. Large, feline eyes inspected the Turk before, with a grace that belied her size, the cat moved from the floor to curl up at the foot of the bed, watching her master.

"You know that I didn't come here to gloat or out of pity. I was concerned about your condition." Looking away, Tseng shrugged. "In any case, we'll be leaving for the crater soon. I'm sure that whatever we find will lead to some sort of treatment."

Rufus smirked, looking more like his old self than he had since his collapse earlier in the day. "I don't care if a treatment is found. I'm doing this because I want to win. I won't die losing." A hand gestured toward the door, indicating that Tseng should leave. "...I..." As his voice faltered, he looked away. "I think that we should keep our relationship at the employer, employee level from now on. We should all be focusing our full attention on current matters, don't you agree?"

"If that's what you want," Tseng replied, standing and giving his employer one final look. "I've arranged to have someone bring food for Dark while I'm gone. You might want to make sure that you restrain her from attacking them." Almost as an afterthought, he reached out to stroke a hand over the creature's head and then turned to leave.

"I think she'll be fine as long as no one approaches the bed. Let's resolve this quickly, Tseng, so that she can have her second favorite around again. ...She'll rely on you." Once he'd spoken, he closed his eyes as if to drift off to sleep. The conversation was over.

As he exited the room and walked down the hall, Tseng schooled his expression into blandness. By the time he caught up with Elena, one could hardly tell that he'd discussed anything more than the weather for their upcoming trip.

"Reno has the helicopter ready," Elena said after a few seconds of silence. "How's he doing? And don't give me the official story, Tseng. You went to see him, I know you did." Taking the opportunity that the empty hall afforded, she reached out to place a hand on Tseng's arm, stopping his progress. "Come on, tell me. He might be the boss, but I was nothing before he hired me. If he hadn't gone against that bas... the former president's wishes, I'd still be there. Out with it."

"He's as well as can be expected, considering his condition." Any notion that Tseng had of being able to get away with that small statement was gone the second he looked at his partner's expression. "He's still weak, but he won't see anyone. He won't let the doctors do anything. If this plan doesn't work..." He shrugged to demonstrate the helplessness he felt. "We should go."

"Oooh, you men can be so stubborn," Elena complained before nodding in agreement. "Let's go before Reno falls asleep on us," she joked as she headed toward the elevator. "Besides, he was in the middle of telling me about something that I'm _sure_ will fascinate you."

"Why am I getting the impression that this is going to be a very, very long trip?" Tseng asked as they entered the elevator that would take them to the roof of the building. "This is going to involve measurements, isn't it." It would have been a question had the woman beside him not stifled a giggle. "I'm going to need a very long vacation after this."

"Come on, Tseng, learn to smile a little. You used to do that, you know. Not a lot, but once in a while. Now I never see it." Without giving her partner a chance to respond, she exited the elevator and headed toward the waiting helicopter. "Reno! Wake up! Come on, we're ready to go. You can get your sleep later. That's what night is for."

"Hey! I was just resting my eyes," Reno explained, sitting up and stifling a yawn. "Besides, you guys took forever, what else was I gonna do? Come on, Elena, sit up here with me, I gotta finish what I was telling you this morning," he said with a smirk.

"It's going to be such a long, long trip," Tseng muttered to himself as he got in behind the other two. "Talk and fly at the same time, Reno. We need to get there before anyone else gets ideas."


	2. Chapter 2

Navigating the crater was difficult with the constant fumes rising from somewhere below and the constant shift of the loose gravel and dirt underfoot. "Be careful," Tseng warned as he worked his way down the slope.

"It stinks in here." Ignoring the caution to be careful, Elena took the slope at a sideways angle. "We don't have time to be careful, there might be someone in here already. You heard the reports, there's been activity in the area... bet you can figure out who it was just by their smell," she added, pressing the sleeve of her jacket against her nose to ward off the odor. "You know, come to think of it, we should have brought Rude along to keep Reno company. He's got to be bored. I mean, we're down here having all of the fun."

"Sarcasm?" Through the haze, Tseng glanced over at his partner. "And we didn't bring him along because I want no delay in reaction once we have what we're looking for." Part of the gravel had slid away to reveal a depression in the rock face, and he pointed toward it. "There. We should look there first."

"Aw, you didn't want to interrupt helicopter sex. I don't think Rude would... wait, but Reno would," she amended, half smiling. "Either you're really considerate or the thought makes your head ache." As she worked her way in the direction that Tseng had indicated, she chuckled. "It's the head ache option, isn't it? Come on, Tseng, you should have a better outlook on these things considering your relationship with our boss."

"Elena!" Despite the blush on his cheeks, Tseng managed to look stern. He didn't have to say that he thought her professionalism had slipped. "Put your headset on, this is business, remember?" Without waiting for an answer, he gestured ahead and a bit left of them. "The ground looks more stable over there, let's try this way."

The depression in the rock soon revealed itself to be a shallow cave. "Wow, what a mess..." Elena muttered before giving her partner an apologetic look. "It looks like nothing but old equipment. We'll have to... wait, take a look at this."

"That's what we're looking for." Tseng eyed the small collection of skin and bone, wrinkling his nose. "Put it in the box and we'll get out of here," he instructed, pulling his gun and peering suspiciously into the darkness at the back of the cave.

"This is so disgusting..." It took Elena a few seconds to figure out a way to get the specimen into the box without getting too close to it. She managed to nudge the thing into the container with her foot before closing the lid and picking it up.

"Reno, pick us up." Tseng reached out to take the box, indicating that Elena should make for the helicopter as it descended to a reachable level. He'd been about to say something when movement from the shadows caught his eye and he fired.

"Tseng, hurry!" Elena had pulled her gun and put her back to the wall, aiming into the darkness and firing to cover her partner. A few shots were fired in return and she grasped her side and fell to her knees in pain.

"Who is that?" The question was forgotten as Tseng saw his partner fall. "Elena!" Thought of escape vanished as he tossed the container into the waiting helicopter and went to retrieve his partner. He had just enough time to gesture for Reno to leave without them before more gunfire echoed around them and pain tore through his shoulder. "You should have run."

"...Tseng...just go." But neither of them had time to speak again. Hands grasped at them, lifting them from the ground. Before they could struggle, cloths were placed over their noses and mouths the world swirled into darkness.

Consciousness returned in a mixture of pain and light edged with the sound of voices. One Tseng could make out as his partner's, but the others were male but unfamiliar to him.

"I told you! I don't know what you're talking about! We were searching for something that was left in the crater, but we didn't find anything!" Elena's voice was filled with anger and pain. "You're a big boy, why are you crying for your mother anyway... ah!"

Tseng opened his eyes and looked toward where the sounds originated. It took several seconds for him to realize that they'd both been tied to two large, glowing trees near a pool of water. "Leave her alone! She's telling you the truth. We went there looking for something, but we didn't find it. We don't have any information to give you!" His words were rewarded with a smirk from one of their captors, but he had gained their attention and that was exactly what he wanted.

"You've hidden mother," The more slender of the two men approached and placed a hand to his cheek, nearly caressing it before grabbing hold of his chin and digging his gloved fingers into the skin. "And now you will tell me where. Your other choice is pain."

"I'm not crying!" This time the more burly of the two spoke and his words were followed by yet another pained sound from Elena. "But you will. Let's play."

Before anything else could be said, a third figure walked toward them. This one seemed younger than the others. "That's enough, Yazoo, Loz. These guys aren't going to give us any information. They're uncooperative, but at the very least they can help us send a message. Hurt them, but keep them alive for a while. See if you can convince them to talk, but don't be disappointed if they don’t." Both Turks were looked over before the young man smiled. "Then you can kill them."

"There, Loz. Kadaj said that you could play with them for a while," Yazoo said before turning back to Tseng. "Don't worry, we're good at this. I'll make sure that the pain is at least interesting so that you aren't bored."

Tseng thought to reply, but as soon as the man in front of him was finished speaking, he raised a hand and mist started to gather around the wounded Turks. Pain began as a mere discomfort at first, but escalated into agony. Both could feel small cuts opening along their skin, though the burlier of their captors added a few touches of his own in the form of slaps and punches.

A flutter, much like the sound of bat wings, sounded overhead, and a mixture of blood and shadow blocked Tseng's view. He struggled against the ropes holding him and felt them give way, much to his surprise. He was just about to make a dash toward Elena when he heard his partner call out in surprise.

"If you wish to live, don't struggle," a voice said from within the darkness that Tseng now found himself. He'd been about to respond, but they were lifted from the ground and he finally gave in to the only relief from the pain that his body would offer him: unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

Before Tseng could open his eyes, his shoulders were being lifted. "Drink this," a voice instructed, and for a second he thought to struggle. "You shouldn't move too much. You're hurt," he was told before a flask was held to his lips again and his thirst overrode his need for caution.

"Elena..." Tseng finally opened his eyes and struggled to turn his head as he looked for his partner. Worry grew into dread when he couldn't find her right away. "Is she all right? If you've done anything to her, I'll kill you." Warmth began to return to his limbs as whatever he'd been given started to work.

"It's been done before, but I haven't done anything to her aside from what I've just done for you. She's sleeping again. Her wounds were a little worse than yours. She'll be well enough to travel soon, but you'll still need some time to recuperate."

Tseng was settled against a rock, and he finally caught sight of the one who'd rescued them. His eyes widened as he recognized Vincent, but he knew better than to move. It wasn't, he told himself, as if he were being attacked, and the man _did_ just rescue them from what had promised to be a painful death. "I suppose I should thank you. Those three..."

"Were going to kill you," Vincent interrupted. "I may have made a mistake by not letting them. They might have been doing others a favor, who knows? For now, anyone who opposes them is an asset, that's all. What happened to you... that was the result of your own actions, so if your partner had died it would have been your fault as well as her own."

"We didn't bring this situation about," Tseng pointed out, then shrugged. "It doesn't matter. You made the decision to save us, so thank you." The pain from his wounds began to ease, giving him enough attention to spare for his surroundings. "This place... it's ironic that they would choose the city that the Cetra left behind. You've been here all along, haven't you? Do you know what they have planned?"

"You participated. As for the rest? I've been here long enough to know what they have planned." Unfortunately, Vincent didn't appear to be ready to give out the information. After watching the Turk for a handful of seconds, he walked away to check on a bundle of blankets. Only after Vincent lifted the figure under them, in order to administer more of whatever restorative was in the flask, was Elena's face revealed.

"And that's a big enough crime, isn't it? Since you rescued us, I owe you. I'll repay some of the debt by telling you that we found what we were looking for." Tseng's attention went to Elena, and he watched as his partner opened her eyes. As much as he wanted to go check on her condition himself, he knew he wouldn't make it very far. His body was already protesting having been made to sit up for so long.

"It is," Vincent answered before nodding at the information as if it were no surprise at all. "You're going to sleep again. When you wake up, you'll be back where you belong. For now, I won't interfere in anything you do as long as it doesn't interfere with anything my friends or I do. I don't have an overwhelming desire to kill you, but I also have no care if you live. You should keep that in mind."

"You're bringing us back? How do you know... no, never mind. I get the feeling that you wouldn't tell me, anyway." Tseng stifled a yawn and, as predicted, fell asleep within a few minutes. When he woke, it was to the sound of voices in quiet conversation.

"Regardless, you have my thanks. I don't like to lose what is mine," Rufus said, somewhere out of Tseng's line of sight. "You must understand that, in my condition, I must rely on those who have shown me the most loyalty."

"I returned them to you because there was no reason for me to keep them away. You should be careful where you send those that are loyal to you, Rufus. From what I know of you, there's very little reason for that loyalty," Vincent replied, and Tseng swore he heard an edge of anger in the man’s voice. "It doesn't matter, they're here."

Only after he heard Vincent leave did Tseng open his eyes, although he found it difficult to focus on anything but the ceiling. Within a few seconds, he felt a hand touch the top of his head and fingers brushing back his hair. He turned just enough to find Rufus watching him from the wheel chair he'd been forced to rely on due to the frequent collapses from the illness he now suffered.

"That guy is a master at public relations. I should look into hiring him back into the company, don't you think?" Rufus' expression remained neutral at first, then his mouth set in an angry line. "I think that my plans may need to be changed. I don't care for the tactics my enemy is using and I'm beginning to become very tired with this game."

"Is it a game? Elena was shot, we were tortured, and you're angry because things didn't turn out the way you had planned?" Regardless of the hurt he felt, Tseng kept his tone nearly neutral. He would have said more- he wanted to say more- but the words with which to express his feelings eluded him.

"Yes, I'm angry," Rufus answered, placing his hands in his lap and looking down at them. "Tseng, everything is a game. It's the rules and the results of winning or losing that are subject to change. Just because I use those words, don't think that it means less to me. You think that I'm angry because things didn't go my way, and you're right. They didn't go my way. My way had the two of you here and safe, not in the hands of those monsters." A brief, humorless chuckle interrupted his words. "I'm even a little angry at you for nearly being killed."

Tseng wanted to say something- anything- to break his own silence, but every response he thought of seemed too inadequate. Finally, when the silence had stretched out into awkwardness, he shrugged. "I suppose you have your reasons."

"I do, and they're all selfish. Not that I intend to change that; it's the way it is, but I've decided that things are going to go my way from now on." Rufus steered the chair away, but stopped just short of the end of the bed. "I've left instructions for everything to be placed in your care. I trust that you'll do what's right, Tseng, you always have." Before anything else could be said, he was gone, leaving silence in his wake.


	4. Chapter 4

Tseng walked back into the hospital-style room that he'd shared with Elena, nodding at his partner as she stood waiting for him. "I know you're still recovering, but I have a bad feeling about this. He's up to something."

"Isn't he always? Come on, partner, we've got a president to save from himself. We can take revenge by making him pay for a vacation to recover after we save his butt." Elena gave a somewhat reassuring smile as she walked over to stand beside Tseng. "So what are we waiting on?"

Tseng merely nodded and headed for the door. They didn't have much time, and he had already formulated something of a plan. They walked at a fast pace, stopping long enough to obtain guns to replace those that had been taken from them, as well as two other guns loaded with grappling hooks attached to netting.

The latter were Elena's idea, and Tseng was baffled until she smiled and explained, "We're never going to make it to the floor he's going to be on, right? The elevators take key cards, and you just know he's disabled all but his. We'll have to take the stairs. My bet is that he's going to the parking garage level. It's got the best view." She hefted the weapon and headed toward the door. "We better hurry."

Nodding, Tseng followed behind Elena, giving a small thanks to whichever god had ensured that she'd end up as his partner. Once they were both out of the building, they took up spots opposite each other but with a good view of the open area. True to Elena's prediction, they could see Rufus draped in a white sheet and seated in his chair. He hadn't expected to see Kadaj, but the fact that his employer was playing both sides didn't surprise him.

What happened next was a blur of motion. They could see the container they'd brought back tumbling toward the ground, could hear the gunshots ring out and the sound of a voice calling out in anger, but it was the sight of Rufus falling that pushed them into action. Tseng pulled the trigger, praying that the grappling hooks would catch and that the cradle made by both guns would be strong enough to hold him.

"Got him!" Elena's voice called out, signaling that they should secure the nets and get to Rufus before anyone else did. "You men, you think you can just do anything and not worry about the consequences," she muttered, but schooled her expression from worry to a mask of complete calm.

"He's all right," was Tseng's reaction, but someone was already coming with a chair to collect Rufus. He had just time to whisper, "We'll talk later" to his employer before a concerned yowling interrupted, followed by a series of yelps and the sound of a door being ripped from its hinges.

A medic was knocked out of the way by a large, black paw and Dark Nation took the man's place, sitting beside the wheelchair and hissing at those around her master. "Later, when I've calmed her down a little," Rufus promised, already acting as if this had all been part of the plan. "Besides, we have to wait to find out what happens next. It would be impolite to leave the table after having played my hand."

Tseng placed a hand on the large feline's head in an unconsciously soothing gesture before nodding and motioning for Elena to join them. "Let's get out away from the front of the building. I don't know where the other two went, so we're going to need a guard. And, for the sake of sanity, someone go tell Reno to stop climbing the building and have him and Rude to meet us at the side of the building. We'll wait for a car to be brought around."

"I would have yelled at him," Elena pointed out before giving a reassuring smile. "I'll go get the kids and meet you in the alley. Let's hope that our dear President doesn't have any more surprises in store for us."

"I should have been a teacher," Tseng muttered under his breath as he walked off to escort Rufus toward where they would meet with the others. "Teaching teenage ruffians would be less stressful." The others finally joined them, but it didn't really seem to matter. His gaze stayed trained on Rufus, as if he expected the man to get up and find yet another building to jump from, or find some other way to endanger himself.

As they waited, the rain began to fall. Just as he was about to curse his luck, Tseng saw the dark stains that were the obvious symptoms of the Geostigma that Rufus suffered from start to fade and disappear entirely. For a moment, his anger and fear were replaced with pure relief.


	5. Chapter 5

Tseng walked into his office, sparing a thought for how little it felt like his own, despite the fact that it was nearly an exact copy of the one he'd once occupied. The lights were out but the sun shining through the blinds offered enough illumination to see by, certainly enough for him to recognize Rufus as the person leaning against his desk. "I wasn't aware that you wanted to see me."

"I'm disappointed, Tseng. I thought you'd be more than happy to have me here, all things considered. I _did_ nearly jump to my death in the interest of world preservation, so show a little enthusiasm." Rufus didn't move from his place, but even the shadows in which he stood couldn't conceal the smirk on his face or the cockiness in his voice. "We've already had the discussion about your lightening up."

"We have," Tseng agreed as he walked over to stand in front of the now cured president of Shin-Ra, and then backhanded him with enough force to make Rufus' head turn. "You'll have to forgive my lack of enthusiasm right now, sir. It's been a very long, very tiring and very frustrating day. You can understand that, can't you? Now get the hell out of my office unless you have business to discuss."

It didn't take long for Rufus to recover and, within seconds, one might have assumed that the slap was all part of some plan that he'd come up with on his own. "You aren't still upset about that, are you, Tseng? You really do need to learn to let these things go. All's well. The planet is safe, humanity preserved; even I got something out of it. What could you possibly have to be pissed off about now? That it wasn't done in an orderly fashion?"

Tseng didn't answer at first as he went through the motions of picking up a small stack of file folders and holding them above the surface of the desk before letting them drop. "You mean that, don't you? You honestly have no idea why I might be a little upset about all of this? For gods sakes, Rufus, you could have _died_ , didn't that occur to you?" Waving a hand, he dismissed any answer that might come. "Of course it did, and you just decided that you wouldn't have it happen because it wasn't convenient. For months now I've been waiting to hear that your illness had taken a turn for the worst and that you wouldn't be recovering, then you just pushed me away as if you were shutting down a company operation. I deserve better than that, damnit."

"What did you have in mind, Tseng? A heartfelt confession? Fear? If so, then you're looking at the wrong person. Do you think that I did this entirely out of self interest? It might surprise you that I had more than myself in mind. I won't be weak, Tseng, and I refuse to let myself be taken care of because of weakness." Another smug grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You have to admit that I was right."

Tseng wasn't aware of his angry snarl at first. Not until he'd pulled Rufus toward him so that their foreheads nearly touched did he recognized the sound for what it was and silenced it in favor of glaring. "What I had in mind was you not being an asshole for once. You think that I care that you had more than just yourself in mind? What I care about is you, or hasn't that gotten through to you yet?"

Rufus said nothing for several moments, pretending to think the situation over as he reached up to toy absently with a strand of Tseng's hair. "Hm... I'm not an easy man to get through to, Tseng. I'm afraid you're going to have to be a little clearer about what you want. That's how deals are made, after all. Both parties state what they want and then each negotiates to get as much of their own wants as possible without having to give too much in return."

"This isn't a business deal," Tseng pointed out angrily, pushing Rufus back toward the desk without thought for the papers and other items scattered in the process. "I've been patient, Rufus, I have, because I know what life has been like for you. I've stood beside you, protected you... hell, I've gone against my own moral values for you, but I am not going to go on like this anymore."

"So what are you going to do about it? Stand there and look solemn? Pretend that nothing's wrong and go back to business as usual? How utterly boring, Tseng. I'd hoped you'd be a little more decisive." Rufus shifted his position, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his expression complete self-assurance. "Well? I'm waiting. I don't like to be kept waiting."


	6. Chapter 6

The quiet was broken by the crash of a lamp and the clatter of the suddenly displaced ‘in and out’ trays hitting against dark wood of the floor. "How forceful of you," Rufus managed before being kissed into silence.

Tseng was tired of talk and tired of Rufus managing to turn the situation into something he could control and manipulate. "Shut up," he instructed as he drew back for a breath and pushed Rufus' jacket from his shoulders without removing it completely. Instead, he rolled the body of the garment until the sleeves were functioned like bindings that made movement nearly impossible for the Rufus.

At first it appeared that Rufus might object, but he gave only a token struggle before he finally leaned back on the desk again using his hands to support him. Even the tug Tseng gave his shirt went unremarked upon, though he did make a sound of protest when unbuttoning was given up in favor of ripping it open.

"Better," Tseng said before moving his hands to Rufus' belt, taking the time to unbuckle and unbutton before yanking both pants and boxers to his employer's ankles. It had occurred to him that this was exactly what Rufus wanted. He wanted to be punished, to make amends in the only way he knew how and, if Tseng allowed it, the cycle would never be broken. "No." He wasn't going to let it happen this way, not this time.

Rufus’ expression was one of confusion as Tseng pushed him back further onto the desk, once again nearly protesting until Tseng's tongue dart over the tip of his cock. "Why?" The question ended in a groan and his struggle to sit up was abandoned.

They'd talk about things later, Tseng promised himself, because if he let this go he'd have to let it go the next time and the next. For now, the only things he wanted to hear from Rufus' mouth were the moans already starting as his lips glided over his employer's cock. However, as much as he wanted to draw those sounds out and make things last, this was about taking away control.

"Nn..." Rufus was, apparently, still mindful of the injunction to remain silent, but other parts of his brain had taken over. "Tseng... Ah..." Words were lost as Tseng applied rough pressure to the underside of his cock with his tongue.

Punishment for speaking came in the form of a light scrape of Tseng’s teeth over sensitive skin that elicited yet another moan. He wasn’t surprised that Rufus would enjoy that sort of thing; the man always did like an edge of pain in his pleasure, what did surprise him was that Rufus was following the rules that had been set.

Rufus’ hands clenched at the desk, crumpling and ripping the papers that had been scattered and it appeared that he might be trying to gain some control. The reality of the situation became clear when a quick, upward thrust of Rufus’ hips signaled his release, as did a low, rumbling growl.

Tseng's hands went to Rufus hips, holding him steady. He waited until all movement had stopped before releasing his lover's cock and placing a kiss on his stomach. "You did well," he finally said. "You only spoke... was it twice? You can make up for that later." Realizing that Rufus really couldn't move due to the state of his clothing, he helped the man up into a sitting position.

Rufus rested his head against Tseng's midsection, eyes closed and his breath finally settling into a normal rhythm. "Why?"

"Why? Are you going to tell me you didn't like it? If you're going to come in here and make a mess of my office, the least you can do is take what pleasure I offer you without second guessing my motives. I don't have any, you know. Not beyond making sure that you're well and safe. I'm not your father." Pausing, he brushed a hand over Rufus' hair before attending to the bundle of material holding his wrists together. "Beyond the obvious, I don't expect you to be perfect. I don't need to punish you and I don't want you to die."

“No, I’m not,” Rufus answered, then chuckled. “We’d both know I was lying if I did.” Silence followed as he listened and waited for his wrists to be freed. “Everyone has motives.”

Tseng stepped back and took Rufus’ chin in his hand, forcing him to look up. “You’re not just going to accept my words, are you? My motivation probably isn’t something that will interest you, but very well. The truth is, Rufus, that I love you. Are you satisfied with that?”

Rufus waited until he could settle the remains of his shirt on his shoulders and then stood. “Tseng, if I felt any other way about you you would have been dead after the slap.” With that, he fastened his pants and then walked toward the door. “This place is a mess, make sure it’s cleaned up tomorrow, but wait until tomorrow. We’re going home.”


End file.
